that what we hold in common is much greater than any of our differences".
 Archbishop Sartain added, "Over the past several years, I have had the honour
of working with L.C.W.R. officers and meeting a large number of L.C.W.R.
members
through the implementation of the Mandate. Our work included the revision of
L.C.W.R. Statutes;review of L.C.W.R. publications, programs and speakers; and
discussion of a wide range of issues raised by the Doctrinal Assessment,
L.C.W.R., and the Bishop Delegates.The assistance of C.D.F. officials was
essential to the great progress we made. Our work together was undertaken in an
atmosphere of love for the Church and profound respect for the critical place
of
religious lifein the United States, and the very fact of such substantive
dialogue between bishops and religious women has been mutually beneficial and a
blessing from the Lord. As we state in our joint final report, ‘The commitment
of L.C.W.R. leadership to its crucial role in service to the mission and
membership of the Conference will continue to guide and strengthen L.C.W.R.'s
witness to the great vocation of Religious Life, to its sure foundation in
Christ, and to ecclesial communion'. The other two Bishop Delegates and I are
grateful for the opportunity to be involved in such a fruitful dialogue."

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 Presentation of the Annuarium Pontificium
 Vatican City, 16 April 2015 (VIS) - The Annuarium Pontificium 2015 and the
Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae 2013 have been issued this morning. The former
reveals some new aspects of the life of the Church that have emerged between
February 2014 and February 2015, and the latter illustrates the changes that
took place in 2013.
 The statistics referring to the year 2013, show the dynamics of the Catholic
Church in the world's 2,989 ecclesiastical circumscriptions. It may be seen
that
in this period one diocese and two eparchies have been elevated to the level of
metropolitan sees; three new episcopal sees, three eparchies and one
archiepiscopal exarchate have been erected; one territorial prelature has been
elevated to a diocese, and one apostolic prefecture to an apostolic vicariate.
 Since 2005, the number of Catholics worldwide has increased from 1,115 million
to 1,254 million, an increase of 139 million faithful. During the last two
years, the presence of baptised Catholics in the world has increased from 17.3%
to 17.7%.
 There has been a 34% increase in Catholics in Africa, which has experienced a
population increase of 1.9% between 2005 and 2013. The increase of Catholics in
Asia (3.2% in 2013, compared to 2.9% in 2005) has been higher than that of
population growth in Asia. In America Catholics continue to represent 63% of a
growing population. In Europe, where the population is stagnant, there has been
a slight increase in the number of baptised faithful in recent years. The
percentage of baptised Catholics in Oceania remains stable although in a
declining population.
 From 2012 to 2013 the number of bishops has increased by 40 from 5,133 to
5,173. In North America and Oceania there has been a reduction of 6 and 5
bishops respectively, in contrast to an increase of 23 in the rest of the
American continent, 5 in Africa, 14 in Asia and 9 in Europe.
 The number of priests, diocesan and religious, increased from 414,313 in 2012
to 415,348 in 2013.
 Candidates to the priesthood - diocesan and religious - dropped from 120,616
in
2011 to 118,251 in 2013 (-2%). An increase of 1.5% is recorded in Africa,
compared to a decrease of 0.5% in Asia, 3.6% in Europe and 5.2% in North
America.
 The number of permanent deacons continues to grow well, passing from 33,391 in
2005 to 43,000 in 2013. They are present in North America and Europe in
particular (96.7%), with the remaining 2.4% distributed between Africa, Asia
and
Oceania.
 The number of professed religious other than priests has grown by 1%, from
54,708 in 2005 to 55,000 in 2013. They have increased in number in Africa by 6%
and Asia by 30%, and decreased in America (2,8%), Europe (10.9%) and Oceania
(2%). The significant reduction in women religious is affirmed: currently
693,575 compared to 760,529 in 2005: -18.3% in Europe, -17.1 % in Oceania, and
-15.5 in America. However, an increase of 18% in Africa and 10% in Asia is
recorded.

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 Cardinal Montenegro to take possession of his titular church
 Vatican City, 16 April 2015 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of
the Supreme Pontiff today announced that on Sunday, 19 April at 11.30 a.m.,
Cardinal Francesco Montenegro, archbishop of Agrigento, Italy, will take
possession of the title of Santi Andrea e Gregorio al Monte Celio (Piazza San
Gregorio, 1).

___________________________________________________________

 Audiences
 Vatican City, 16 April 2015 (VIS) - Today, the Holy Father received in
audience:
 - Twenty-seven prelates of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops, on their
"ad Limina" visit:
 - Archbishop Zacchaeus Okoth of Kisumu;
 - Bishop Norman King'oo Wambua of Bungoma;
 - Bishop Cornelius Kipng'eno Arap Korir of Eldoret;
 - Bishop Philip A. Anyolo of Homa Bay;
 - Bishop Joseph Obanyi Sagwe of Kakamega;
 - Bishop Joseph Mairura Okemwa of Kisii;
 - Bishop Maurice Anthony Crowley, S.P.S., of Kitale;
 - Bishop Dominic Kimengich of Lodwar;
 - Archbishop Martin Musonde Kivuva of Mombasa;
 - Bishop Paul Darmanin, O.F.M. Cap., of Garissa, with his coadjutor, Bishop
Joseph Alessandro;
 - Bishop Emanuel Barbara, O.F.M. Cap., of Malindi;
 Cardinal John Njue, archbishop of Nairobi;
 - Bishop Emanuel Okombo Wandera of Kericho;
 - Bishop Anthony Muheria of Kitui;
 - Bishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba of Nakuru;
 - Bishop John Oballa Owaa of Ngong;
 - Archbishop Peter J. Kairo of Nyeri;
 - Bishop Paul Kariuki Njiru of Embu;
 - Bishop Virgilio Pante of Maralal;
 - Bishop Peter Kihara Kariuki, I.M.C., of Marsabit;
 - Bishop Salesius Mugambi of Meru;
 - Bishop James Maria Wainaina Kungu of Muranga;
 - Bishop Joseph Mbatia of Nyahururu, with Bishop emeritus Luigi Paiaro;
 - Bishop Alfred Kipkoech Arap Rotich, military ordinary;
 - Bishop Anthony Ireri Mukobo, I.M.C., apostolic vicar of Isiolo.

___________________________________________________________

 Other Pontifical Acts
 Vatican City, 16 April 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has:
 - appointed Msgr. Werner Freistetter as military ordinary of Austria (priests
12, permanent deacons 3, religious 4), Austria. The bishop-elect was born in
Linz, Austria in 1953 and was ordained a priest in 1979. He studied theology in
Vienna and in Rome at the Germanic-Hungarian College, and has held a number of
pastoral roles, including parish vicar and parish priest in Vienna, assistant
at
the Institute of Ethical and Social Sciences at the Catholic Faculty of the
University of Vienna, collaborator in the Pontifical Council for Culture, and
member of the Holy See Representation at the Organisation for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (O.S.C.E.). He is currently director of the Institut fur
Religion und Friede and episcopal vicar of the Austrian Military Ordinariate,
and spiritual assistant of the Catholic International Military Apostolate. He
succeeds Bishop Christian Werner, whose resignation from the pastoral care of
the same military ordinary in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of
Canon Law.
 - appointed Msgr. Wilhelm Krautwaschl as bishop of Graz-Seckau (area 16,401,
population 1,210,971, Catholics 853,594, priests 449, permanent deacons 69,
religious 722), Austria. The bishop-elect was born in Gleisdorf, Austria in
1963
and was ordained a priest in 1990. He holds a doctorate in theology from the
University of Graz, and has served as deputy priest and parish priest in
numerous parishes in the diocese of Graz-Seckau, and as dean of the deanery of
Bruck an der Mur. He is currently rector of the seminary of Graz and
responsible
for vocational pastoral ministry, and judge at the diocesan tribunal.

___________________________________________________________

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